The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, has proposed to the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, a “a regional and international coalition to fight terrorist groups“, in a meeting in which terrorism was described as a “common enemy” from Israel and France. Macron arrived in Tel Aviv this Tuesday to show his “support and solidarity” to the country, where he met with Israeli leaders.

“I came to tell you the solidarity of France in the face of our common enemy, terrorism,” Macron assured Netanyahu, defending “Israel’s legitimate right to defend itself” of the Palestinian Islamist group Hamaswhich carried out an attack against the Jewish State on October 7.

“France is ready for the international coalition cagainst the Islamic State, in which we are committed, can also fight against Hamas“said the French president, proposing “a regional and international coalition to fight against terrorist groups that threaten everyone.”

Hostage release

Furthermore, the French president has stated that it is a priority the release of all hostages captured by Hamas during the attack on Israeli territory on October 7. “The first objective we should have today is the release of all the hostages, without distinction. “It is a horrible crime to play with the lives of children, adults, the elderly, civilians and soldiers,” said the French president during a meeting with his Israeli counterpart, Isaac Herzog, to whom he expressed his “support and solidarity.”

According to the Government of Israel, 22 Frenchmen were killed and three others remain missing after the Hamas attack against Israel on October 7. “I want you to be assured that we stand shoulder to shoulder with you and your nation and we will do everything we can to restore peace, security and stability for your country and the entire region,” Macron promised Herzog, in a warning to militias throughout the region against their participation in the escalation, especially the Shiite group Hezbollah, which has increased its attacks from southern Lebanon against the northern Israel.

“We are following the situation in Lebanon very closely, I think Hezbollah is playing with fire, “I believe that the malevolent empire of Iran is back and operating through them to destabilize the Middle East and the region,” Herzog said. “We are not looking for a confrontation on the northern border or with anyone else, we are focused on destroy Hamas’ infrastructure and bring our citizens home, but if Hezbollah drags us into war, it must be clear that Lebanon will pay the price,” the Israeli president warned.

France seeks to avoid an extension of the war, and that is why Macron noted in a recent telephone conversation with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, that the Shiite militia Hezbollah “must not enter” in the conflict and asked that Iran “stay out of it.”

In search of de-escalation

Macron landed this Tuesday morning in Tel Aviv with the aim to reduce the escalation, which has left more than 5,300 dead in the Gaza Strip, the vast majority civilians, due to Israel’s intense bombings; while more than 1,400 people died on the Israeli side. Macron seeks a “humanitarian pause” of the conflict, allowing international aid to enter Gaza, which in turn would help the release of the hostages and relaunch a “political perspective,” according to French sources.

In this perspective, Paris wants to once again involve the actors in the region in the search for a security and peace formula that satisfies the needs of each one, including the creation of the Palestinian State. On his tour, on the other hand, the French president will meet with the president of the Palestinian National Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, who governs limited areas of the occupied West Bank, another area where violence has worsened as a result of the war with Hamas. “We have a lot to do together, what happened will never be forgotten,” Macron stressed in Israel.